Loving Your Worst Enemy
by DracosGirlMakayla
Summary: What happens when Hermione and Draco get stuck together in almost every way possible? What happens when they start to become friends? Most importantly, what will happen when Hogwarts has it's first masquerade in over a century? Read and Review Please!
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I love Draco and tom Felton, but sadly I do no t own them or any other Harry Potter characters.  
  
A/N: This is only the first chapter, so please don't flame.  
  
Hermione Granger smiled to herself as she stepped onto the Hogwarts express and was on her way to Hogwats for her fifth year. This year would be different. She just had a feeling. Over the summer she had seem Victor a few times, but things just weren't working out. They split up, but still remained friends.  
  
As she put on her badge she smiled. As much as she would have loved to visit with Harry and Ron, but she couldn't. She was supposed to be in the prefect's compartment. That meant she would finally get to meet all the other prefects.  
  
Hermione opened the door and found that there was only one person there at the moment. That one person happened to be the one person she was never pleased to see. Ever since her first year he had tormented her and her friends. With a sigh she sat down in the opposite seat and hoped he wouldn't notice her.  
  
"Granger? Don't tell me you made Prefect. What am I saying? Of course goody two shoes Granger made prefect." Draco sneered.  
  
"Shut up Malfoy. I don't need this. I'm not taking this from you any more. In fact, I'll just ignore you." She turned her head away.  
  
"Oh good. Then you won't mind if I just say a few things I've been holding in all summer. Hermione Granger, you are a low life, Gryffindore, know it all, mudblood, who just happens to be the ugliest creature I've ever seen. And even better, you don't have Potty, and Weasel here to defend you. Not that I would care if they were. They are almost as fun to tease as you." He laughed.  
  
"Screw you Malfoy." She snapped.  
  
"That's all you've got? I would expect a little more from you. I'm a little hurt you didn't put more effort in it. Shall we try again? Hermione, I think you are the most pathetic looking monster I have ever laid eyes upon." He smirked.  
  
Her only reply was a one fingered sign that she rarely used. When she did it she didn't even look at him. She just pulled out a book and started reading.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Later that day Hermione had met with the other Prefects. Justin was the Hufflepuff Prefect. For Ravenclaw it was a girl named Darlene. They were both very nice, unlike a certain Slytherin who shall remain nameless, Malfoy!  
  
"Him? He is the Slytherin prefect? This year is going to be a living hell." Darlene groaned.  
  
"At least you didn't have to sit in the same compartment with him on the way here. Does he have nothing better to do then bother me?" Hermione sighed.  
  
"Apparently the guy has issues. Just try not to let him get to you. If you get mad, it will only make him happier." Justin shook his head.  
  
"No, if he bothers me, I think I'll let him have it. I think I'll let him know just how I feel about him. I'm tired of taking his shit." Hermione growled.  
  
"Oh is that so Granger? This year is going to be so much fun. I'll see you around kiddies." Draco drawled as he walked through the prefect common room and into his room.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Finally that night was the sorting hat ceremony. Hermione smiled as she sat in between her best friends Harry and Ron. They both gave her hugs that were so tight that she could have ended up with a broken rib or the circulation cut off to her entire body. Glancing around the table she saw Lavender and Parvarti. They both waved and smiled.  
  
Hermione clapped the loudest of all when the children were placed into the Gryffindore house. She made a point to introduce herself to each and every one of them. She let them know that if they ever needed help that they could come to her.  
  
"Hermione, do you have any idea how boring the train ride was? You weren't there to scold us far our lack of manners and our unproper English. It was really weird." Ron smiled.  
  
"So who are the other prefects?" Harry asked curiously as he took a bite of his third biscuit.  
  
"Justin, Darlene, and the ever charming Malfoy." Hermione spat the last name with distaste.  
  
"Malfoy? How did he get made prefect?" Ron questioned as he glanced over at the Slytherin table.  
  
"He probably had to pay Snape. It wouldn't surprise me." Harry laughed  
  
"Actually I got in on pure smarts. I'd watch it Potter. I can make this year difficult for you, or I can make it hell. Take your pick." Draco stuck his head in our conversation on his way up to the front.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
The next morning Hermione had double potions with the Slytherins. Oh what fun. Just what she needed. A crappy start to her fifth year.  
  
Hermione forced herself out of bed and dressed in her brand new robes. She grabbed her books, a quill, and some parchment. Then she headed down for breakfast.  
  
Hermione hardly spoke to Ron and Harry that morning. They were discussing Quidditch once again. Did they ever tire if saying the same thing over and over again every day? Apparently not since they were still going at it.  
  
They walked into Snape's class and found him standing at the door waiting for everyone to arrive. If one single Gryffindore were late he would take at least fifty points from Gryffindore.  
  
"All right, this year you will have a new seating arrangement. I will be placing you all with a member of the opposite house. Get comfy, because this is the person you will be seated with the rest of the year." It was a nicer greeting then they had received the year before at least.  
  
"Now when I call your name I expect you in your seat in ten seconds or I will take ten points from your house. Malfoy, and Granger, in the front." He started to call off names.  
  
With a moan Hermione hurried to her seat and settled down. She decided to just ignore him. It was only going to get her in more trouble if she argued with Draco. This was going to be a rough year.  
  
"Potter and Parkinson."  
  
"Weasley and Goyle."  
  
"Finnigin and Crabbe."  
  
"Thomas and Bullstrode."  
  
"Well well granger, just can't stay away from me can you?" Draco smirked.  
  
"Yes, that must be it Malfoy. I'm just madly in love with you. I just can't get enough of your insults and glares." Hermione dryly replied.  
  
"Stop hitting on Drakey you little mudblood." A voice called from behind.  
  
It was pansy and Harry had already opened his mouth to say something when Snape gave him a warning glance and started the lesson. Oh what a fun year this will be.  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: This is only my first chapter. What do you guys think? I would normally ask for suggestions, but I'm not far enough yet for there to be anything to suggest. Just to let you know there will be a masquerade at the end. 


	2. Smooth Move Malfoy

Disclaimer: I really love Draco, but I do not own him or any one else.  
  
A/N: I don't really have anything to say yet.  
  
A few weeks had already passed by. Hermione had tried her best to avoid Malfoy, but everywhere she went he eventually turned up. Was there no place a girl could go to get away from him? Was he stalking her or something?  
  
She walked into the library to find a few transfiguration books. She had found out in advance that they would soon be turning tiny objects into large animals. Hermione wanted a head start on it and found that all the books she had been looking for had already been checked out.  
  
"Do you know when they will be back?" Hermione asked Madame Pince.  
  
"In three weeks latest. A young man checked them out about ten minutes ago." Madame Pince replied.  
  
"Do you have any others on that subject?" Hermione asked hopefully.  
  
"Only what you see on the shelf. If it isn't there then we don't have it at the moment. If you want I can have them reserved for you." Madame Pince answered.  
  
"I guess." Hermione sighed.  
  
"We'll inform you the moment they come in. from there you will have twenty four hours to come pick them up or they will go back up on the shelf." Then the old woman went back to her book.  
  
Hermione slowly walked out of the library. As she passed the last table she noticed it had all the books she had been looking for. However she couldn't see who was behind them because there were so many and they were piled so high.  
  
"I'm sorry, were you looking for these Granger. I guess you heard about the next transfiguration assignment too." Draco grinned.  
  
"You, you checked out all of these?" Hermione asked with fury.  
  
"Yes, yes I did. Why? Did you need them? Oh well. That's just too bad for you. I guess you'll just have to wait another three weeks until you can see them again." He smirked evilly.  
  
"Do you have any idea how much I hate you right now?" Hermione glared.  
  
"I think so, but why don't you tell me anyway. I'm always up for a little entertainment." He placed his hands behind his head and leaned back in his seat so it stood on two legs.  
  
"I really wouldn't sit like that." Hermione called behind her as she left.  
  
"You really think I'm gonna fall Granger? It's never happened before, and it never will happen. I'm too smooth." He leaned back even further.  
  
At that moment he fell backward and he hit the ground. Hermione had a good laugh as she watched Draco stand up and kick the chair then smooth out his hair again. He looked around to make sure that no one else had seen him. Then he saw her and she laughed one more time just to bother him, then walked away.  
  
"Smooth move Malfoy!"  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
In Transfiguration McGonnagall had decided that she wanted everyone to work in partners. She would call you up and draw a name, and whoever's name you drew would be your partner for a while.  
  
"I expect that you will all decided at least one day to get together outside of class to work on your assignment per week. The more you practice, the better you will become, and the higher your grade will be. Mister Malfoy, you will be the first to draw a name. Please come up here." The old woman called.  
  
Draco walked up to the front casually and stuck his hand in the hat. He pulled out a slip of paper and his eyes went wide with shock. Quickly recovering he smirked and handed the slip over to the professor and looked around for his partner.  
  
"Miss Granger, you will be working with Mister Malfoy. I suggest you two start discussing the assignment." She sighed and called up the rest of the class.  
  
Hermione was vaguely aware of the other students in the room. Slowly she walked over to meet Draco. This was so not her month. Things just seemed to get better and better.  
  
"Hello partner. Looks like were once again placed together. If you ask me I'd say its fate." He grinned.  
  
"Oh you're so funny. Let's just get this over with. We will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays and we'll find a place to work where no one else will be. Agreed? Good. Bye." Hermione stood up to leave, but Draco grabbed her wrist.  
  
"Wait a second. I didn't agree to any of this. Unlike some people, I have a social life. What if I have plans for those days?" He asked.  
  
"Then cancel them. Your social life means nothing to me. We will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays and you will be there. Any other questions?" Hermione arched her eyebrow as she wrenched her wrist free of Draco's grasp.  
  
"Just one more question. What time will we be meeting at?" He questioned.  
  
"Good question. How about five?" Hermione suggested.  
  
"Sure." He nodded and watched as she walked away to meet her friends.  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: So what did you think? Please review. 


	3. Seeing a Softer side to Him

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone ore anything in this or any other chapter.  
  
A/N: Read and Review people.  
  
Hermione went out to the Quidditch Field to meet Draco. It was Tuesday and their first meeting. McGonnagall had given Draco their assignment so Hermione had no clue as to what they were doing. She found Draco leaning up against the wall across the field. At his feet lay a few books. Books Hermione had previously tried to check out, only to find that he had beaten her to them.  
  
"Ok, what are we doing?" Hermione asked as she approached him.  
  
"We're going to have to turn this cup into a large dog. I've been studying this, so I'll try first." He cleared his throat and waved his wand.  
  
In a matter of seconds the cup had transformed into a dog. A Beagle to be exact. He wagged his tail and barked at Draco. Hermione sat down and he leapt into her lap. Draco bent down to pet it and it snarled at him.  
  
"Stupid little mutt." Draco sneered.  
  
"Stop it. You'll hurt his feelings." Hermione covered the dog's ears so he couldn't hear.  
  
"It's a dog Granger. It doesn't have feelings. Anyway we did it, we're done, I'm leaving." He spun on his heal and started to walk away.  
  
"Not so fast Malfoy. Weren't we supposed to turn him into a large dog? This is a beagle; I have dogs that take dumps bigger then this. Let me see the book. I'll do it." Hermione grabbed a book from him and waved her wand.  
  
The tiny beagle turned into a Rottweiller. He was much larger then the beagle and much scarier. It terrified Draco, but Hermione merely shrugged. She had been raised with large dogs. A Rottweiller was the smallest dog she had ever owned. Hermione laughed as Draco backed up against to wall with fear.  
  
"Change him back! Change him back!" He yelled.  
  
"Apologize to him first." Hermione demanded.  
  
"I'm sorry. Everything I said, I take it back. Call him off now! Call him off!" Draco panicked.  
  
"Come. Sit." Hermione commanded the dog, and he obeyed.  
  
Hermione pet the dog lovingly and smirked at Draco. He dusted off his robes had glared at her. She giggled at him and stuck out her tongue.  
  
"That thing is huge!" Draco stared at the dog.  
  
"This little guy? You wan to see a big dog; I'll show you one. Have you ever seen an English Mastiff?" Hermione pulled out her wand.  
  
"No, it's not necessary. I'll take your word for it." Draco hastily replied.  
  
"Ok then." She waved her wand and turned the dog back into a cup.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Hermione decided to swing by the Gryffindore common room to visit Harry and Ron. They were playing wizard chess again and discussing sports. They both looked up and smiled at her and pulled out a seat for her.  
  
"So, how was your meeting with Malfoy?" Harry asked.  
  
"It was actually fun. He turned the cup into this little tiny dog and insulted him too. I turned him into a much larger dog and it scared the hell out of him. It was quite funny. So Ron, how did your little meeting with Pansy go?" Hermione turned to Ron.  
  
"Horribly. The broke the cup and we ended up with a bunch of little dogs instead of one big one. It was really quite pathetic. I tried to fix the cup, but she snatched it away from me and damaged it even more. I swear, the girl has absolutely no brain. How did she even get in here in the first place?" Ron smirked.  
  
"I honestly don't know Ron. I'd love to stay and chat some more, but I really must be going. I have to write a paper. I'll see you guys later if I can." Hermione skipped out the door.  
  
On her way to her room she heard Pansy and some of the other fifth year Slytherin girls talking around the corner and decided to listen in for a moment. At first all she heard were giggles, then it all became clearer.  
  
"That girl has the worst hair I've ever seen. How can she look in the mirror every morning without screaming? She probably breaks the mirror when she looks into it too." Pansy laughed.  
  
"I'm Hermione Granger, I'm the smartest girl in the world." Another girl giggled.  
  
"She is so pathetic. I feel bad for her two little boyfriends. At least they are semi decent looking, but with her around they have no chance of ever getting a date." A third voice commented.  
  
"You know who I feel the worst for? Drakey. He has to she a common room with her. He has to sit by her in potions. And in transfiguration he has to work with her for the next few weeks. Tell me that wouldn't suck?" Pansy sighed.  
  
Just then Hermione felt a tear fall down her cheek. She had known that most people thought of her that way, but she never really heard them say it. They had all quieted down and you could hear footsteps coming down the hall.  
  
"Get off me Pansy. I'm not in the mood for this today." Hermione could hear Draco growl at the little slut.  
  
"Poor Drakey. We all feel sorry that you have to work with that little mudblood all the time. What do you think Drakey?" Pansy asked.  
  
"I think that it is none of your business. Now would you get off my arm? You're cutting off my circulation." He snapped and continued to walk through.  
  
Hermione really didn't want Draco to see her like that. So she ran down the halls to get away. Unfortunately, that was the way Draco was headed for and Hermione had no place to hide. She tried her best to dry her tears and act like it had never happened, but it was too late. He saw her and was approaching her.  
  
"Granger? Are you crying? You are aren't you?" Draco asked, but not in his usual tone.  
  
"Yes. Please don't say anything to anyone." Hermione pleaded.  
  
"Sure, but why were you crying?" Draco questioned.  
  
"I was on my way back to my room when I heard Pansy and her little friends laughing, and I heard them mention me, so I stopped for a second to hear what they had to say and I heard the whole thing." A few more tears slid down her face.  
  
"Look, I know we're not friends. We're no where near friends, but I'm going to give you some advice. Don't listen to her. Pansy is an idiot. She doesn't know what the hell she's talking about. Don't let her see you like this either. It will only make things worse for you." Draco advised.  
  
"But the things they said. It is true. I am an ugly little brat. I act like I know everything, but I don't." Hermione whispered.  
  
"Hermione, do you hear what you are saying? This isn't you. Now come on. Dry your eyes." Draco wiped a few fingers gently across her face to wipe away her tears.  
  
At that moment Hermione saw a different side to Draco. He did know human emotion and he was capable of showing it. She also noticed how warm his hand was on her face and she almost leaned in to his touch.  
  
"Thanks. That was very sweet of you." Hermione smiled softly.  
  
"I know. Just don't tell anyone else about it. No one else knows I'm capable of being nice and I'd like to keep it that way Granger." Draco smirked arrogantly.  
  
"Call me Hermione from now on. Since we have to see each other for the rest of the year, why not make it a little easier on ourselves." Hermione suggested.  
  
"I guess you can call me by my first name if you want to." Draco shrugged, then continued down the hall leaving a shocked Hermione all by herself.  
  
  
  
A/N: Little by little I'm going to try to make him soften up. I hope you like this so far. Review please. 


	4. Cougars and Elephants

Disclaimer: I own nothing as usual.  
  
A/N: This is my favorite chapter so far.  
  
After that day with her little Pansy incident, Hermione saw Draco in a new light. When she was younger, she thought that he was a cold-blooded, heartless, jerk, but he had shown her that he wasn't. He had shown her that he could be, kind, and, gentle, and sweet if he wanted to be. She no longer hated him as she once had. It wasn't like she was great friends with him, but she definitely didn't hate him.  
  
"Ok Draco, what's on the list today?" Hermione asked as she met him in the same place she had on Tuesday.  
  
"We have to make this spoon turn into a large cat." Draco answered holding out the spoon.  
  
"Easy. Just one question, do we have any form of protection? I'd rather not be eaten by something that will be turning back into silverware in an hour." Hermione smirked.  
  
"Yeah, she placed a spell on the spoon earlier so the cat can scare the shit out of us, but it can't harm us." Draco nodded.  
  
"You want to try first?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Sure." He said a few words and the spoon started to grow larger had grown fur.  
  
It had turned into a cougar. Hermione took a step towards it. She had seen them at a zoo in America before, but never had she ever been nearly as close as she was at the moment. She was awed by its beauty. Hermione had always had a soft spot for large animals. Her favorite cat was the snow leopard, but the cougar was a close second.  
  
"Isn't she beautiful?" Hermione smiled.  
  
"Yeah. I've never seen one of these before. I've only seen pictures in books. She really is quite amazing isn't she?" Draco looked at the creature with wide and curious eyes.  
  
"I've never seen one up close either. I saw one at an American zoo before, but I was never anywhere near this close to it. This is amazing." Hermione added.  
  
Just then it hissed at Hermione and shown it's large teeth. It took a step towards her, and she backed up hastily. It swiped its paws at her, and barely missed her, but she had bumped into something hard, Draco's chest.  
  
She looked behind at him and looked him over. He really was much more muscular then most boys their age. Very few were stronger then him, and they were smelly and sweaty all the time. Hermione quickly realized what she was doing and snapped out of it.  
  
"Calm down. It can't hurt you remember?" Draco smiled.  
  
"Oh, right. I forgot." She sighed.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
That night Hermione took a bubble bath to relax herself. No one usually used the prefect's bathroom, so she locked the door, seeing as how no one would be coming in. No one would notice, but she did it as a safety precaution.  
  
The water was warm and soothing. She used the bubbles that smelled like chocolate. Then she used her wand to create some relaxing music. She slid into the water and sighed. There was nothing like a nice bubble bath when you were stressed and needed time to think.  
  
She swam around for a bit and played with the bubbles. When she finally settled down she decided to think about her situation. Why had Draco been so nice to her when she was crying? He had seen lots of girls cry before and had laughed at them. Why did she think about his muscles earlier? Why did she lean in to his touch when he wiped her tears?  
  
The only conclusion that she could come up with, was because she didn't have a crush on anyone at the moment. She had always had a crush on someone. There was always at least one guy she had liked. The problem was that at the moment there was no one who caught her eye. In her first year it had been Harry. In her second year it had been Ron. In her third year it had been Seamus. And in her fourth year it had been Victor Krum, who she had dated for a while. Maybe she was just overreacting. Maybe it was because he was always around. Whatever the reason was, she decided to ignore it and move on. She had better things to worry about.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Finally after three weeks of getting together after class, McGonnagall decided to test them on their ability to transfigure an object into a creature. The first few groups did ok, but it was nothing impressive. Neville and his partner had turned their paper into a mouse. Ron and Pansy turned a book into a rabbit. Harry and Millicent had made a goose out of a notebook.  
  
When it came to Draco and Hermione they grinned. They were going to make everyone else's look like child's play. The professor handed them a rock and asked them to turn it into the biggest animal that they could.  
  
"No problem. Everyone, if you could, we would like you all to back up about two yards." Draco instructed.  
  
Hermione said the spell and rapidly the rock turned into an enormous elephant. The entire class stared in wonder how they had pulled it off. It had created a bit of a mess, but they got the best grade out of the entire class.  
  
On their way out of class they could still hear people talking about it. Since they were both on their way to their dorms, they decided to walk together.  
  
"You did great Hermione." Draco complimented.  
  
"Correction, we did great. I couldn't have done it without you." Hermione smiled.  
  
"Did you see their faces? It was priceless." Draco laughed.  
  
"I know. Poor Neville, he finally did something right, and his animal seemed like nothing compared to ours! A mouse! I feel so bad for him, but if you've got the talent and the smarts, you might as well use it. It would be a shame to have let our knowledge go to waste." Hermione smirked.  
  
"I completely agree." Draco nodded.  
  
"Wow, I never thought I'd hear those words come from your mouth." Hermione looked over at him and smiled.  
  
"Same here, and don't get used to it. It was a one time thing got it?" Draco sneered.  
  
And once again he had taken a perfectly sweet moment and screwed it up. Hermione smiled to herself anyway. She knew now that his behavior was all a show. The real Draco Malfoy wasn't like that. He was just living up to everyone's expectations of him. He was acting how a Malfoy was supposed to act.  
  
  
  
A/N: So, what do you think? I should have the next chapter up sometime tonight, or tomorrow morning for those of you who are interested. Review Please. 


	5. Arguments

Disclaimer: I own nothing.  
  
Around December Hermione heard of a Yule Masquerade. There were going to be five nights of dancing. Not many had heard of the dance at all, let alone the details Hermione knew about it. The first day you had to wear a muggle dress. The second day you had to wear a medieval dress. On the third day you had to wear dress robes. During the fourth day you had to wear a dress from a book or a movie you had seen, but few of them had ever heard of a movie, let alone seen one. Finally on the fifth night you could wear whatever you wanted.  
  
Hermione knew that they would be going to Hogsmeade that weekend and decided to go dress shopping with Ginny. They had become friends. Hermione felt bad for the younger girl. She was in love with Harry, and Harry thought of her as a child. The only girl he was interested in was Cho Chang.  
  
They went into a dress shop and Hermione quickly selected five dresses. Ginny however, took over three hours finding the right dresses. She picked out a dark green dress that had only one strap and flowed nicely all the way down to her feet. Her second dress was a black one with a low neckline and several petticoats. The third was just a red dress robe. Her fourth one was the yellow dress from Beauty and the Beast. Her final dress was a blue dress that had a low neckline and showed off a lot of her legs.  
  
She smiled as they left the store and headed down to a jewelry store. Hermione spent an hour looking around. She picked out five necklaces and six pairs of earrings.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
That night at dinner, Dumbledore made the announcements about the masquerade. Everyone was shocked as displeased that he hadn't told him or her sooner. They could have gotten their outfits earlier that day. He also mentioned that no two people could dress the same. You had to fill out a sheet and send it to Dumbledore immediately so that you made sure that you got to wear your outfit and didn't have to get another.  
  
Hermione quickly filled out her sheet and turned it in to him. She was the first girl to turn in her paper. She found out that Draco was the first male to turn in his. Apparently he had known ahead of time too.  
  
Hermione went into her room and tried on all her dresses again and twirled and posed in front of the mirror. Then she pulled out her mask and tried it on too. They didn't want anyone to know it was her, so she made plans for her hair and makeup. She and Ginny would get together a few hours before the dancing started.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"So, I saw last night that you knew in advance about the dance. Who told you?" Draco asked her in potions.  
  
"I have my sources, as I'm sure you have yours." Hermione answered.  
  
"You two better be finished. Otherwise I would like to see a lot less talking and a lot more work." Snape glared at them as he passed their desk.  
  
"Someone's got a stick up his ass." Draco muttered under his breath.  
  
"Tell me about it." She smirked.  
  
"Who are you dressing up as on the fourth night?" Draco asked.  
  
"I can't tell you that. It's a secret." Hermione smiled.  
  
"I'll tell you who I'm being if you tell me who you are being." He grinned.  
  
"Fine. I'm being Cinderella." She sighed.  
  
"You're lying to me aren't you?" He asked, even though he already knew the answer.  
  
"Yes. I'm sorry, but I just can't tell you who I'm being. It's a secret Draco." Hermione stated.  
  
Harry had been listening in on their conversation, and didn't like what he was hearing. He thought they were being way too friendly for enemies. Something was going on that he didn't know about.  
  
"Since when did you start calling him Draco?" Harry leaned forward and looked at Hermione questioningly.  
  
"I beg you pardon." Hermione looked at him blankly.  
  
"Since when did you start calling him Draco?" Harry repeated.  
  
"Were you eavesdropping Harry?" Hermione asked.  
  
"That's not the point. Just answer the question." He demanded.  
  
"Draco and I were having a private conversation, and it is none of your business what I call him." She stared at him appalled.  
  
"See, there you go again. Is there something you aren't telling me?" He asked.  
  
"Is there something you're not telling me Harry? I don't see why I should have to tell you every detail of my life when I practically have to beg for a bit of yours." She sighed.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Harry looked at her as if she were crazy.  
  
"I always come to visit you, and you never come to see me. You only come when you want something. I stop by just to say hi and to let you know I care. Hell, even Ron stops by to see me. When I do see you, you never tell me what's going on in your life. I have to beg for the slightest bit of information." Hermione started to raise her voice.  
  
Harry didn't say anything. Draco, who had been watching the whole incident, placed a hand on her shoulder to calm her down a bit. She sat back down, and to her surprise no one was staring at her, except for Neville who hadn't quite learned to look away when Hermione got mad.  
  
"You're right Hermione. I'm sorry." Harry whispered.  
  
"You should be. Harry, I thought you were one of my two best friends, but you don't seem to notice what's going on in my life, and you don't tell me anything about yours. If you want me to tell you, then you've got to be willing to do the same for me." She sighed and left class.  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: So tell me, do you guys like this one? Next one is the first night of the masquerade. 


	6. The First Night

Disclaimer: I own nothing in this chapter.  
  
A/N: Sorry. I just realized that in one of the previous chapters I used the name Darla. That's the name of the main character in another story, but I already finished it, so I don't know why I put it in there. Also, if yu see the name Gwen, its also because she is in another one of my stories, which is almost finished.  
  
The day of the first night finally rolled around. Hermione and Harry had made up and were closer then ever now, yet he still couldn't accept that Draco and Hermione were being civil to one another, so they avoided the subject of him most the time.  
  
Ginny rushed over to see Hermione and they began to dress up. They both decided they wanted to look different then they usually did, so they decided to dye their hair. They both decided on black. It would wash out at night, so it wasn't a problem during the day.  
  
Ginny changed into her dress, and gasped when Hermione came out in her dress. Hermione wore a black dress with no straps, and a slit up the side. She wore black high heels and black gloves that went up to her elbows. She looked stunning.  
  
"Hermione, you look so different. No one will ever guess it's you!" Ginny shrieked.  
  
"I know! Isn't this great?" Hermione smiled.  
  
After a few hours of making their hair very curly, they put on their masks and headed out. Inside the grand hall were many girls and boys. Hermione was able to spot several people by their behavior. Neville was the one who spilled the punch on his shirt. Ron was the one with the bright red hair, and the guy next to him obviously had to be Harry. Pansy was the one going around asking for Draco, and Cho Chang had to be the girl Harry was staring at.  
  
They both approached Ron and Harry and smiled. Neither of them had a clue who they were. Ron was drooling at the sight of them, and when Ron pried Harry's eyes away from Cho they immediately landed on Ginny. He looked her over and his jaw dropped.  
  
"Would you like to dance?" Harry asked her.  
  
"I would love to." Ginny smiled and they walked onto the dance floor.  
  
Ron was about to ask Hermione to dance when some girl in a pink dress asked him first. Hermione laughed and watched both couples dance. Ginny looked like she was in heaven, and Harry hadn't once looked at Cho since he started dancing.  
  
Hermione stood back and looked around. She had been asked to dance by seven guys so far, but they weren't lively enough for her so she moved on to someone else after one dance. She was a little bored and went to wait outside on the balcony. To her amazement someone was already on it.  
  
She looked at him and smirked. He wore black pants and a silver shirt. His hair was silver and reminded her very much of Draco, but Draco always gelled his hair back. This guy's hair was parted down the center. She couldn't see his face. His back was facing her. Feeling bold she walked over by him and leaned on the railing.  
  
"I'm sorry. I didn't know anyone else was out here." He apologized.  
  
"Oh don't be. When I came out here you were the only one here. If you'd like me to leave I'll understand." Hermione started to back away.  
  
"Please don't. I think I could use some company. Everyone else in there bores me." He gently pulled her back to where she was before.  
  
"I know. I danced with seven people in there, but none of them interest me." She sighed.  
  
A slow song came on and without another word they wrapped their arms around each other. Her arms went around his neck, and his went to her waist. While they danced she noticed his cologne. It was indescribably delicious. She looked up to study his face. He had silver blue eyes, and he was staring back at her.  
  
"You have the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen. They remind me of someone I know, but he would never be out here. He would be in there dancing with as many girls as possible." She smiled.  
  
"You have very pretty eyes too. I know most guys go for the girls with blond hair and blue eyes, but I like girls with brown or black hair and dark brown eyes. Your hair looks beautiful, but I can tell that it's not your natural color. What is your real hair color?" He asked her.  
  
"I can't tell you. It's a secret." Hermione smiled.  
  
"Then can you at least tell me what hair color you will have tomorrow night so that I can find you?" He asked sweetly.  
  
"Dark brown." She answered.  
  
It was almost twelve and they were dancing the very last dance of the night. By that time her head was already resting upon his chest, which she noticed was very muscular. She sighed, wishing the night didn't have to end, but it did as the last song ended.  
  
She smiled weakly at him and began to exit, when he stepped alongside of her. He held her hands for a moment and stared into her eyes.  
  
"Please, promise me that you will meet me here tomorrow night?" He pleaded.  
  
"Yes." She answered with a slight smile.  
  
"Tomorrow night then." He whispered in her ear and made his way through the crowd.  
  
Hermione sighed and watched until she could no longer see him. She waited for Ginny, who was saying goodnight to Harry. He smiled at her with longing as she left him and returned to Hermione.  
  
"So, I take it things went well with Harry?" Hermione grinned at Ginny.  
  
"Yes they did. Oh it was wonderful! He never once looked at Cho! His eyes were on me at all times, and he asked me why he had never seen me before. I never answered him and he seemed even more curious. The best part of all, was right before midnight. He almost kissed me, but then Pansy broke through looking for Draco." Ginny smiled as she told Hermione the details of her night.  
  
"I found someone too. The only problem is that I don't know who he is. We danced all night on the balcony. We're meeting there again tomorrow night. Oh Ginny, he was amazing. He had blond hair, and his eyes were almost silver. I can't wait to see him again." Hermione laughed as they made their way to their rooms.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: thank you all so much for reviewing. I've gotten more reviews in this story in less then twenty four hours, then I have in over a month in some of my other stories. Please keep reviewing. I need another five reviews before I add another chapter. Also, I accidentally put in the wrong chapter five. It was chapter five to another one of my stories, so please go back and read it. 


	7. Iris

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story. Nor do I own the song that is used at the end.  
  
The next morning Hermione was back. No stunning dress, no black hair, and no makeup, just regular Hermione. She was happy all day none the less. At lunch she talked to Harry.  
  
"Hermione, where were you last night? I met the most wonderful girl!" Harry grinned.  
  
"I was there, I saw you, but I guess you didn't see me. So tell me about this girl?" Hermione smiled.  
  
"She was gorgeous. She had black hair, a red dress, and was prettier then even Cho Chang if it's at all possible. She was a little short for a fifth year. I think she may have been a fourth year. Did you see her?" Harry asked.  
  
"Oh her! Oh, I know her." Hermione smirked.  
  
"Really? Who is she? What's her name? What house is she in? Did she say anything about me?" Harry questioned.  
  
"Calm down boy. You know her too. That's all I can tell you without giving it away. It wouldn't be fair for me to tell you her name if I can't tell her yours." Hermione sighed.  
  
"Tell her my name then! Then you can tell me her's. Hermione I beg of you. I'm dying here. She was the most wonderful girl I've ever met." Harry pleaded.  
  
"Harry, I can't. You'll find out on Friday. Oh, Hello Ginny. Harry and I were just talking about last night. Apparently he really likes this girl he met. Harry, why don't you tell Ginny about it. I'd love to stay, but I have to get to my next class. I'll see you all later." Hermione waved, leaving Harry and Ginny to talk by themselves.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
At the end of the day Hermione met with the other prefects. They discussed what time they were all leaving. They didn't want to see each other. Hermione would go first. Justin would go second. Darlene would go third, and Draco would go last. Justin and Darlene left immediately afterwards to go get ready.  
  
"How come you aren't dressing up yet?" Draco asked.  
  
"I'm waiting for Ginny. We're helping each other get ready. I know I'm leaving first, but it won't take too long for me to get ready." Hermione answered.  
  
"So did you have a good time last night?" Draco smiled.  
  
"Yes, I had a very good time. I met a really handsome guy, and I'm meeting him again tonight. Everyone seems to have that. I wonder when the whole thing ends, how many of these little couples will last?" Hermione wondered.  
  
"I'd say about ten percent. Most of them will find out that they had been with someone of a different age or house, and they'll probably ignore each other for the rest of their time here. I won't though. I met this girl, and I don't care how old she is, or what house she's in." Draco smiled to himself.  
  
"Me too. Well Ginny's here now. I'm going to go get ready. I'll see you tomorrow. Have a good time tonight." Hermione waved and pulled Ginny into her room.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
After getting ready, they both looked perfect. Ginny's hair was now dark brown, and her dress was a black medieval dress with a low neckline and several petticoats. Instead of curling her hair she put it up in a very pretty twist. Both of them knew Harry would die when he saw her.  
  
Hermione's hair, like Ginny's, was dark brown. She curled it again, but this time in little ringlets. Her dress was a deep red with gold lace around the edges. Her sleeves were long and had a lot of lace at the end. It had several petticoats too, but not quite as many as Ginny. The night before her makeup and mask had been mostly black. Tonight it was red to go with the outfits.  
  
They looked into the mirror one last time and headed out. They smiled at all the boys. They heard many whistles and lots of whispering as they passed by. They found it all quite flattering.  
  
Ginny let out a nervous sigh as she say Harry waiting for her. She looked a lot different from the night before, but you could tell by the look in his eyes he knew it was his girl from the night before. Ginny hugged Hermione and Hermione wished her good luck as she went to join Harry.  
  
Hermione went out onto the balcony and waited for her prince charming to arrive. She couldn't wait to see him. He was all she had thought about all day. She thought about his voice, his hair, his eyes, his smile, and the way he smelled and the way that he made her feel.  
  
She had waited for over half an hour for him and started to worry. She started to believe that he wasn't going to show up. The thought of it crushed her. She wanted him to be there. She wanted to be with him again, like the night before.  
  
Hermione sighed and started to leave when she bumped into someone. That someone just happened to be the guy from the night before. His outfit was like all the other guy's outfits, only he wore blue, while they wore green or black.  
  
"I'm sorry I'm late. I tried to get here sooner, but I was delayed." He apologized.  
  
"I'm just glad you're here. I was beginning to think you wouldn't show." She smiled.  
  
"I was afraid of that. I'm sorry, I'll make sure that it doesn't happen again." He pulled out a bouquet of red roses and handed them to her.  
  
"They're beautiful. Thank you." She glanced up at him with happiness.  
  
"Beautiful roses, for a beautiful lady." He whispered.  
  
Hermione blushed and looked away. She heard him laugh lightly and looked back at him and arched an eyebrow.  
  
"And what, may I ask, is so funny?" She asked.  
  
"You blushed. I find it cute." He answered.  
  
Hearing that only make her blush even more. He laughed and set her roses down on the bench beside them. Taking her hands he pulled her to him to dance.  
  
They danced three slow songs and five fast songs, and they both became tired. So they decided to sit o the bench and talk a little bit.  
  
"Wanna make a little deal?" He asked her.  
  
"What kind of a deal?" She played with the roses.  
  
"The kind where we tell each other a little bit more about ourselves each night. That way I can get to know you a little." He suggested.  
  
"Ok then. What do you want to know?" She leaned back.  
  
"What house are you in?" He asked.  
  
"I'm in Gryffindore. So what about you? What house are you in?" Hermione grinned.  
  
"Slytherin. Now normally I don't like Gryffindores. Actually I usually can't stand them, but you seem so different. You intrigue me." He fiddled with his fingers.  
  
"I don't usually like Slytherins either, but I like you. Most of them are nasty and cruel, but you don't seem like that at all." Hermione watched him, but his eyes never made contact with her.  
  
They stayed quiet for a while. Hermione was content to just sit next to him. Just being so near him made her happy.  
  
"Is something wrong? Is my being in Gryffindore a problem? If it is we can end this now." Hermione sighed.  
  
"No. I was thinking that most people won't be happy seeing us together, but I don't care. I'm tired of worrying about what everyone else thinks is right. I'm going to do what I think is right. I like you, and I like being around you." He smiled at her.  
  
"Good, because I like being around you too. This is probably the last song of the night. Would you like to dance?" Hermione asked him as she stood up.  
  
And I'd give up forever to touch you  
  
'Cause I know that you feel me somehow  
  
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be  
  
And I don't wanna go home right now  
  
"You're something else. You know that?" He smiled.  
  
And all I could taste is this moment  
  
And all I can breath is your life  
  
And sooner or later it's over  
  
I just don't wanna miss you tonight  
  
"Yeah, I've had my suspicions, but thanks for bringing it to my attention. My question for you is, do you have any idea how handsome you are?" Hermione grinned.  
  
And I don't want the world to see me  
  
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand  
  
When everything's made to be broken  
  
I just want you to know who I am  
  
"No, but do you have any idea how incredibly sexy you are?" He whispered in her ear.  
  
And you can't fight the tears that ain't comming  
  
Or the moment of truth in your lies  
  
When everything feels like the movies  
  
Yeah, you bleed just to know you're alive  
  
Hermione blushed for probably the hundredth time that night and looked away, but his hand reached up and gently forced her to look at him.  
  
And I don't want the world to see me  
  
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand  
  
When everything's made to be broken  
  
I just want you to know who I am  
  
"What would you do if I kissed you right now?" He softly whispered.  
  
And I don't want the world to see me  
  
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand  
  
When everything's made to be broken  
  
I just want you to know who I am  
  
"I don't know. Why don't you find out?" she replied.  
  
And I don't want the world to see me  
  
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand  
  
When everything's made to be broken  
  
I just want you to know who I am  
  
And so he did. He bent his head down and at first his lips barely touched hers. Then he pressed his lips to hers, and when he pulled away they both smiled slightly at each other.  
  
I just want you to know who I am  
  
I just want you to know who I am  
  
I just want you to know who I am  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: I really hope you like that one. Once again I'm sorry I messed up chapter five, but I've fixed it. I need a little help. I don't know who Hermione should dress up as on the fourth night. I'm thinking of dressing her up as Galadriel or Arwen, but I'm open to all suggestions. Please review and send in your suggestions. 


	8. Night Two

Disclaimer: I own nothing.  
  
In the morning Hermione was practically glowing. She barely heard what her teachers were saying. Draco had to snap her out of her thoughts five times. If Snape caught her, it could mean detention, and no seeing her prince charming that night.  
  
"Hermione? Are you there? Hello?" Ron was waving his hand in front of her face.  
  
"Ron stop it. I'm right here." Hermione looked over at him.  
  
"Oh really? Harry and I have been trying to gain your attention for almost five minutes. Whatever it was you were thinking about, it must be pretty special. You haven't raised your hand once today to answer any questions." Ron laughed.  
  
"What were you thinking about Hermione?" Harry asked.  
  
"Him. The one I've been with these past two nights. I've had crushes before, and I've dated before, but never has anyone made me feel this way. I don't even know his name. All I know is his house." Hermione sighed dreamily.  
  
"What house is yours in Hermione?" Ron tilted his head to the side.  
  
"Slytherin." She answered.  
  
"Really? Mine too, only she's in her sixth year." Ron smiled.  
  
"What? Are you too mad? Are you crazy?" Harry questioned.  
  
"Yes, I'm mad and crazy about him." Hermione giggled.  
  
"Same here. Only mine's a girl." Ron added.  
  
"Mine won't give me her age or house." Harry complained.  
  
"It's ok Harry. You won't be disappointed." Hermione patted his shoulder.  
  
"How do you know?" Ron asked.  
  
"Because I know her. You two know her too." She smirked.  
  
"Really? Who?" Ron questioned.  
  
Hermione grabbed Ron's arm and dragged him around the corner. She sighed, felling almost like she shouldn't tell him, but she knew he wouldn't tell Harry once he knew.  
  
"Ron, you have to promise not to get mad, and you have to promise not to tell." Hermione gave him a warning look.  
  
"I swear I won't. Tell me!" Ron pleaded.  
  
"Ron, the girl Harry has been seeing, and appears to be in love with is Ginny." Hermione explained.  
  
"What? Wait a minute, you mean to tell me that my best friend and my sister are in love? I watched them! He almost kissed her! That's sick! I didn't want to know that! Why did you tell me?" Ron asked.  
  
"Because you made me tell you!"  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
It didn't take as long to get ready that night. Hermione dyed her hair black with red streaks, and left it straight. Her robes were black. Ginny dyed her hair blonde with black streaks. She too had black robes.  
  
They entered the hall and looked around. They spotted Ron and joined him. He didn't realized yet that Hermione was the girl with Ginny, but he smiled nervously at Ginny. He wasn't yet comfortable with the fact that his sister was with his best friend.  
  
"If he hurts her I'll kill him. Harry is my best friend, but if he hurts her I will kill him. It's my job to look out for her." Ron watched as Ginny and Harry danced.  
  
"Don't worry Ron. Ginny is a big girl. She is capable of taking care of herself." Hermione patted his shoulder and watched everyone.  
  
She glanced over at the door to the balcony. She saw him. She gave Ron a quick hug and left to join her mystery guy.  
  
He was waiting at the doorway for her. He held her hand and took her outside. Hermione was happy to see him again. He was too apparently because his smile was much larger then it had ever been before.  
  
"I missed you." He informed her.  
  
"I missed you too. You were all I could think about today." She giggled.  
  
"It's your turn to ask one question. Would you like to ask it now or later?" He asked.  
  
"Later. I want to dance right now." She wrapped her arms around his neck.  
  
He smiled and placed his hands on her waist. The thing different about this time was that this time they had less then an inch between them. Hermione could feel him breathing. She wanted so badly to reach up and kiss him. So she did. She grabbed his head and pulled it down to hers. Her lips met his and she smiled as she pulled away.  
  
"Sorry. I had to do that." She said softly.  
  
"I was waiting for that. I wanted to, but I wasn't sure if you wanted to. So I didn't." He laughed lightly.  
  
"I couldn't help it. I can't wait until we take our masks off." She smirked.  
  
"You know, we could do that right now." He whispered sweetly.  
  
"As tempting as that is, I'm going to have to say no. That takes all the fun out of wondering. Besides, we only have two more days of torture. I think I can live." Hermione sighed.  
  
"I'm not so sure that I can. I really want to see you, but if it will please you, I'm willing to wait until Friday." He replied.  
  
"Don't worry. It's not that long. In about forty eight hours you will know my true identity." She realized she didn't really want him to know.  
  
None of the guys in her own house saw her that way. There was very little chance he would want to see her any longer once he knew who she was. She on the other hand, could care less who he was. He had brought magic into her life. The kind you can't get from a wand. He had made her feel special, beautiful, and wanted. No one had made her feel that way before.  
  
"What are you thinking about?" He asked her, bringing her out of her thoughts.  
  
"Once you know who I am, you probably won't want to see me anymore." She said almost silently.  
  
"How do you figure?" He stopped dancing and led her to the bench to sit down.  
  
"Because there has only been one person who has ever been in love with me before, and you could barely call what we had love. No one in my house likes me like you treat me. They treat me like one of the guys. Well it's not actually that bad, but they don't treat me like a lady. To them I'm just plain old." she paused.  
  
"Plain old what?" He asked.  
  
"Nothing, I was about to say my name, but I stopped myself." She laughed slightly.  
  
"Look, you've got to stop worrying. I won't walk away from you. I could care less if you were Neville Longbottem. Wait, actually I think I would have a bit of a problem with that, but you get my point. I know you aren't Neville. Your voice is much to sexy, and you are far too gorgeous." He whispered.  
  
"But." She started to argue.  
  
However she didn't get very far. He gave her a quick kiss to shut her up. She stared at him. His hands cupped her face and he kissed her again.  
  
"No more. I'm not going to leave you. I promise you." He sighed.  
  
Find me here Speak to me I want to feel you I need to hear you  
  
"I want to ask my one question now." She told him.  
  
You are the light That is leading me To the place where I find peace again  
  
"Sure. What do you want to know?" He smirked a smirk that looked very familiar  
  
You are the strength That keeps me walking You are the hope That keeps me trusting  
  
"What year are you in?" She asked.  
  
You are the life to my soul You are my purpose You are everything  
  
"I'm in my fifth year. How about you?" He questioned.  
  
And how can I Stand here with you And not be moved by you Would you tell me How could it be Any better then this  
  
"I'm in my fifth year too. I have an idea of who you could be. You are so similar, and yet so different from him. It's hard to tell." She looked into his eyes for any hint of who he may be.  
  
You calm the storms You give me rest You hold me in your hands You won't let me fall  
  
"You remind me very much of someone I know too, but you can't be her." He looked at her, as if thinking the same thing she was.  
  
You still my heart And you take my breath away Would you take me in Would you take me deeper now  
  
The music stopped, and everyone started to leave. They stayed together for another minute, but then with long faces departed and went their separate ways.  
  
'Cause you're all I want You are all I need You are everything Everything  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Thanks to all who have reviewed so far. For those of you who asked, the last chapter was called Iris, because that's the name of the song in that chapter. I called this on everything because that is the name of the song, which is by Lifehouse. 


	9. So the Magic Continues

Disclaimer: I really wish I owned the characters in this story, but I don't.  
  
  
  
"So Hermione, what are you dressing up as tonight?" Ginny asked as they headed up to Hermione's room.  
  
They both had very expensive and delicate dresses that had several pieces to them. It would take twice as long to put them on as it did the other dresses.  
  
"Remember when I was at your house over the summer? If you remember what she looks like, I'm being Arwen from the Lord of the rings. The pretty white dress she wore is what I'm wearing. I found an almost exact match." Hermione answered with a smile already spreading across her face.  
  
"I wonder if Harry likes yellow. Would he care if I wore a yellow dress?" Ginny began to panic.  
  
"Ginny, calm down. I haven't been given the more recent of Harry's favorite colors, but I can already tell you it doesn't matter. He's liked you all this week, he'll be stunned by your beauty once again." Hermione assured her now slightly insecure friend.  
  
First they dressed Ginny up. Her dress was a bright, shimmering, yellow that drew attention. She wore white gloves, and her hair was put up just like in the movie. She looked beautiful. Then they started to dress up Hermione. Her dress was long, white, delicate, and it practically glowed. Hermione even ordered the necklace that she wore. Her hair was long, wavy, and almost black.  
  
"You ready?" Ginny asked.  
  
"I'm ready. Can you believe it Ginny? Tomorrow night we unmask ourselves." Hermione moaned.  
  
"Don't remind me. I'd at least like to enjoy the next few hours without having to think about that." Ginny covered her ears, not wanting to hear any more of what Hermione might have to say.  
  
"You're right. Let's just go and enjoy ourselves." Hermione agreed.  
  
As they walked down the halls people starred at them. The crowd parted to let them through. They smiled and waved as they made their way to the front.  
  
Harry and Ron were standing side by side in the same spot they had been in the past three nights. Harry was dressed as what appeared to be a vampire. Not the most original costume. There were already at least five Hermione had seen. Ron was dressed as a character that Hermione knew well. She stifled a laugh as she greeted Ron.  
  
"Oh please don't tell me you're Arwen?" Ron groaned.  
  
"I won't tell you I'm Arwen if you won't tell me you're Aragorn. I did this all first. I got my dress three weeks before you got yours. So I still get points for originality." Hermione placed her hands on her hips.  
  
"People are going to think we're together." Ron complained.  
  
"No they won't. I'm going right now to meet the guy I've been seeing these past three days. No one ever sees us. Don't worry Ron." Hermione patted is shoulder and started to walk to the balcony.  
  
She stopped to look at the costumes. Neville was dressed as Frodo. Pansy was dressed as Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde. Lavender was Pocahontas. There were a lot of other costumes she recognized, but the saw a shimmer of silky blond hair enter the balcony and was there almost instantly.  
  
When she got there she was surprised to see his costume. His pants and tunic were mossy greens and browns. Black boots, long blond hair, pointed ears. She knew instantly who he was and she smirked.  
  
"Legolas, I didn't see that one coming." She grinned.  
  
"And Arwen, I'm shocked. I expected something more like what all the other girls are wearing, but then again, I should have realized, you always separate yourself from the others. You aren't like them. They are plain, boring and common. You are different, exciting, and exotic." He smiled.  
  
"Why thank you. You know, if you had been Aragorn I would be rolling on the ground laughing my ass off." Hermione told him.  
  
"I was seriously considering him, but he isn't that graceful, he's kinda dirty, and brown hair would look really funny on me. Besides, the girls all went for Legolas. He's what I guess you guys think is hot, and I get to wear these cool ears." He tugged at the tips of his ears.  
  
"I'm glad you chose to be him. You look really good right now, and it helps that I have a crush on him." Hermione smiled.  
  
"Oh really? So does this add to my charm?" He asked with a grin.  
  
"Yes. Now, come on. I want to dance." Hermione placed her arms around his neck and began to dance.  
  
It was every bit as magical as it had been the three nights before. Slowly everything began to fade again. No laughter, not talking, just music and the man in front of her. He looked cute even with long hair. Most guys can't pull that off successfully. She reached up and ran her hands through his hair. It was softer then she ever could have imagined. He smirked and started to feel her hair. Hers was just as soft, only it was wavy.  
  
"Your hair is so soft. Did you cast a spell to make it so soft?" Hermione asked curiously.  
  
"Yes, and I'm guessing you did too. It is even softer then mine. How is it you can look so different every time I see you, and yet become more beautiful every night?" He whispered.  
  
"I could ask the same of you. You become even more handsome every time I see you. Is it even possible to get any more handsome then you already are?" Hermione smiled.  
  
"I'd like to ask my question now." He stopped dancing and pulled her over to the bench.  
  
"Please don't ask any questions that will give my identity away." Hermione pleaded softly.  
  
"I won't. I just have one question for you. If you had to pick three people, name the three sexiest people here?" He looked at her and a smile crept upon his face.  
  
"Can they already have graduated a few years ago, but they were here at some point while I was?" Hermione questioned.  
  
"You can pick one. The other two have to be here right now." He answered.  
  
"This is tough. You see, there are a lot of guys who are a little cute, but I don't really have feelings for any one person at the moment. If I had to pick, I think I would say Oliver Wood, Seamus Finnigan, and Harry Potter." Hermione thought carefully about her answer, wanting to say Draco.  
  
"And why exactly did you pick those three?" He asked.  
  
"I can't answer that. You asked your one question, now, you must tell me who you think is pretty." Hermione grinned playfully.  
  
"I don't like most girls here. A lot of them are prissy little bimbos. If I had to pick, I guess it would be Cho Chang, Katie Bell, and I don't know pick someone else." He shrugged.  
  
"You weren't answering completely truthfully." Hermione stated.  
  
"You didn't either. You said Seamus, but the way you said it, I think you meant someone else. I understand why you didn't say anything. If when we take off our masks, we turned out to be enemies, you probably wouldn't want to see me any more, and you probably wouldn't want me to know whom it is that you really have feelings for. I understand." He nodded.  
  
"I'm sorry, you're partially right. The thing is, I still don't think you'll like me. You probably know whom it was I was about to say, but if you don't like me, I didn't want you to go and tell him. You see, we didn't get along for a very long time, and recently we had this sort of unspoken truce. He's finally being nice to me, and if he ever found out how I felt about him, things would turn out badly." Hermione sighed with a bit of sadness detectable in her voice.  
  
"It's ok. I have a similar situation going on and if she ever found out how I feel about her, she'd tell her friends and they would treat me like shit again." He whispered.  
  
"You know, you are much easier to talk to then even my best friend. Maybe its because it seems easier to trust someone you may never see again, or maybe you are just a really good listener." Hermione smiled.  
  
"Both I think. It is pretty easy to talk to someone you may see just once in your life, then to someone you'll see every day." He agreed.  
  
"Yeah. I'm so nervous and excited about tomorrow night. I'm dying of anticipation, and yet I'm dreading it." Hermione sighed.  
  
"I know, but I think everything will be ok, and if it's not, then at least we can say we were once loved the way we had always wished for. I've had girls in love with me before, and I've dated, but I never really felt this way before." He shyly admitted.  
  
"Same here. I have had my little crushes before, and I have gone out with a guy once. I'm not your normal girl that flings herself at the nearest male who seems even slightly cute. I get to know the guy. That's why I've only dated once. It was last year. He was a year or two older then me, but I liked him. Yet I never felt love for him. That's why we broke up. We're still friends though. He wrote to me about a week ago. I never got the chance to reply. I've been so busy with all of this." Hermione smiled and glanced inside to see Ginny kiss Harry.  
  
"I only dated to impress my father. He's an ass. I don't do that any more. I stopped at the end of last year. I was forced to take this girl I loathe to the Yule Ball. It was the worst time I had ever had in my life. I was supposed to marry her too. It was an arranged marriage, but I refused to. Once my dad saw her, he immediately canceled it. He said she wasn't worthy of me." He shook his head.  
  
"That's good. Otherwise you would be in there now having a terrible time with that girl, and I would probably dance with a few people, then be back out here to get away from all of them." She stated with a grin.  
  
"That's a scary thought. I don't believe I like it." He shuddered with disgust at the thought.  
  
  
  
"I don't like it either. I can't imagine being anywhere but here right now. I love this. Dancing on the balcony, away from the crowd. Being here with you." Hermione whispered softly.  
  
"Promise me, that whatever happens tomorrow night, when you look back on these past few nights, you will remember me the way I am now, not the way I really am. Because this is the real me. The me I rarely ever show." His lips lightly touched her ear.  
  
  
  
Hermione stared up at him. His eyes were so familiar. Everything about him drove her crazy. With every second, his identity became clearer. Hermione knew that she knew him, she just couldn't figure out who he was. She wouldn't care if he were Crabbe or Goyle. He had made her feel special, and to her, these precious nights would always be special.  
  
They were interrupted when a large bang went off in the dining hall, and they both jumped. Looking inside they saw Dumbledore raise his hands to gain everyone's attention.  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen, we went on past twelve and I apologize. You must all get to bed now. Get some rest before your final night." Dumbledore announced and everyone filed out of the room.  
  
"I'm so sorry, I wish we could stay longer, but I have to get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow night." Hermione leaned up and kissed his cheek.  
  
"Goodnight." He bent down and kissed her softly and then walked towards the exit.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: I hoped you liked that one. I may not be able to add the next chapter tomorrow. I'm having problems with my computer at the moment. Hopefully I will be able to update. Thank you all for reviewing, and for all your suggestions. 


	10. The End

Disclaimer: I am saying this one last time. I do not, in any way shape or form, own anyone or anything in here.  
  
A/N: This is it. The final chapter. I really hope I did a good job on it. Sorry for all the little mistakes I've had. I'm having a little bit of computer trouble. I meant to have this up two days ago but I couldn't get on this site. Please review when you are done reading. I'd really like to know what you guys think.  
  
It had finally arrived. It was Friday. Hermione nervously paced the prefect common room. Ginny would shortly be arriving and they would dress for the final night of the masquerade. The door opened and Hermione jumped up excitedly, only to find the person who was entering was Draco. Inside, a small part of her thought she had some sort of feelings for him, but she knew that she was in love with her mystery boy, and none of her feelings for Draco could change that.  
  
"What are you still doing out here? Are you waiting for Ginny?" Draco asked.  
  
"Yeah I'm still waiting. Why can't she hurry up? I need to get ready!" Hermione started pacing again.  
  
"Are you ok?" Draco questioned, but it was obvious that he thought she was anything but ok.  
  
"Yes I . wait. no I'm not. I don't know. I really, really, really, I'm just going to stop with the really's now because they go on forever, like this guy. My problem is, I don't think he'll like me anymore. When I take off my mask it will be over. I don't know if I can handle that." Hermione admitted with embarrassment.  
  
"You like him a lot don't you? Look, I don't know you very well, but I do know that if this guy doesn't want to see you anymore then forget about him. He just wouldn't be worth your time. I've listened in on some conversations that I probably shouldn't have, but I do know of a few guys who like you. So if things don't work out there, I could always introduce you to one of them." Draco suggested.  
  
"Thanks, but I don't think it is all that simple. I appreciate your efforts though. It was sweet of you." Hermione smiled to him as Ginny entered and dragged her off to get ready.  
  
"What was that about?" Ginny asked with a smirk as she closed Hermione's door.  
  
"We were talking while I waited for you." Hermione shrugged as she pulled out her dress and started to get ready.  
  
The end result was the best yet. Hermione wore a dress that was simply unexplainable. It was perfect in every way. It was black and red. The best way to describe it would be short, very short. It almost broke the dress code. It had one strap. She wore many black bracelets on each arm. Her hair was up in a complicated twist, yet this time it wasn't dyed. It was her normal color. She wore red velvety high heels.  
  
Ginny looked pretty good too. She wore a dress almost exactly like Hermione's. The only difference was that hers was green and black. Everything else was exactly like Hermione's. One girl was red, and the other was green.  
  
With a sigh of nervousness and relief they both put on their masks and left. As usual they received several stares and whistles, but this time they ignored it. They simply wanted to get to get to their guys. Ginny decided to bring Harry to the balcony right before the unavailing of the masks.  
  
As they entered toe large room for the last time, they took a look around for Harry. He was for once not with Ron. This was because Ron was already with his girl, and Hermione immediately realized it was Katie Bell. She had lied to Ron about her age and house, but she knew it would all work out for them.  
  
"You look amazing. Are you ready for tonight?" Harry kissed her softly.  
  
"As ready as I'll ever be." Ginny smiled and they walked off to a table and sat down.  
  
With one last glance around, Hermione made her way to the balcony for the last time. He was there. His face showed a little bit of nervousness, but nearly as much as hers did. Instead of the normal greeting, he pressed her up against the wall and kissed her until she was almost senseless.  
  
"Hello to you too." He smiled.  
  
"Sorry. I couldn't help it." He apologized, but you could tell he wasn't sorry.  
  
"I don't really feel like dancing, but I don't feel like sitting down either." She wrapped her arms around his neck and placed her head upon his chest.  
  
"I hope this all works out." He whispered.  
  
"Me too. I meant what I said. I don't care if you are Voldemort himself, and I don't care if you are 100 years old." Hermione softly told him.  
  
"I know. I feel the same way, but you do realize that if we do continue to see one another after this that the rest of the school won't accept us. Would you be willing to keep our relationship a secret? Or would you not care what the others think? Would you even want to see me again?" He asked seriously.  
  
"I don't care what anyone else thinks. They can kiss my ass if they don't like it. I want you. I know I sound so pathetic and girly, but you're all I've thought about this past week. You're all I think about, all I dream about, and you're all I want." Hermione stared up at him  
  
"I want to continue this with you too." He smiled and then they began to dance.  
  
The words never reached Hermione's ears. The laughter, the cheer, the screams, the cries, none of it existed to her. She was only aware of him. The boy, no, man in front of her. She wanted him with a physical, and emotional desire.  
  
Hermione was completely lost in her own thoughts when she heard a tap on the glass. She looked up to see Ginny. She looked up at him and he let go of her. Then with a sigh she went inside with Ginny to talk.  
  
"What?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Was that the guy you have been seeing this week? He's cute." Ginny looked out the window to see him staring out at the sky.  
  
"Yes that's him. Now was there something you wanted? I'd really like to get back to him." Hermione looked out at him with longing.  
  
"Look, I think I'm going to leave now. I can't let him know it's me. I just can't. He will look at me with disgust. I have to see him every day too. It will all be so awkward. He probably won't talk to me." Ginny explained with sadness.  
  
"Why don't you just give it a shot. If he doesn't like you, then pretend you had no idea it was him and say that it was all just a mistake." Hermione suggested.  
  
"I can't. I can't see him any more. I just wanted to let you know so that way you don't wait for me tonight. When you get in to check on everyone, I'll already be fast asleep. Enjoy your night with the cutie out there." Ginny gave Hermione a hug and turned to leave.  
  
She then bumped into Harry. He knew something was up. He stared at her for a moment, then he looked at her with hurt and longing.  
  
"You're going to leave now aren't you?" Harry asked.  
  
"No. I. I can't stay here. I know who you are, and I know you don't like me the way I like you. I can't bare the pain of losing you once you find out. I'm sorry Harry." Ginny whispered as a tear rolled down her face.  
  
"I figured out who you were last night. I wasn't sure how I felt about it, but I do now. I love you Ginny Weasley. Please don't leave." Harry pleaded as he wrapped his arms around her.  
  
"Oh Harry!" She hugged him and sobbed into his chest.  
  
"I'm going to leave you two now. I'm glad you found each other. You look very cute together." Hermione smiled, happy for her two friends.  
  
"Thank you Hermione, for everything." Ginny whispered.  
  
She once again walked out to meet him. He was deep in thought, so she just stood by his side and watched the night sky.  
  
It was silent for a while. You could barely hear the music. The only sound she could hear was the beating of her own heart. She knew it was almost midnight. Almost time to take off her mask.  
  
"It's almost time you know. We have about ten minutes left." He softly broke the silence.  
  
"I know." She replied.  
  
He turned towards her and wrapped his arms around her. He took her hair out of the twist it was in. He ran his hands through her not so bushy hair. Hermione lifted her hand up to feel his hair. With every second she once again began to see who he was. She knew that she knew who he was. Her problem was that she wasn't ready to know.  
  
The minutes passed by. First five, four, three, two, then finally one. They had one minute left until it was all over. Hermione's eyes became glossy. She felt as if she were about to cry. He saw this and leaned down to kiss her.  
  
"Are you ready?" He whispered in between kisses.  
  
"No, but its time. We have too." Hermione pulled away and stared up at him with a sudden pang of nervousness and sadness.  
  
As they pulled away it began to rain. His hands went behind her head and gently pulled off her mask. He gasped and stared at her. Hermione felt horrible, she was so sure he didn't like her. She turned to leave, not wanting to know whom it was that she was leaving behind.  
  
"Where are you going?" He asked as he pulled her back.  
  
"I'm going to bed. I shouldn't have come here. I should have known that you wouldn't like me once you saw me." Tears started to flow past her cheeks.  
  
"Oh no. You've got it all wrong. I do like you. You are exactly who I've been hoping for these past few nights. I've liked you all year, and you have no idea how happy I am to see you. Don't leave." He pleaded softly.  
  
She looked him over. She instantly had a pretty good idea of who he was. She felt so stupid. She should have known all along. Silver hair, blue eyes, that smirk, his smell, and the way he made her heart flutter. Only one other person in the world had ever made her feel that way.  
  
She slowly removed his mask, feeling his skin underneath her hands. Feeling the softness of his hair. As the mask fell to the ground it revealed the face of the one person she wanted to see. Draco Malfoy.  
  
He stood there before her. He slowly stepped forward and gently pulled her in towards him. Softly he kissed her and then smiled.  
  
"I love you Hermione Granger." He whispered in her ear.  
  
"And I love you Draco Malfoy."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: So, what do you think? Was that a good enough ending? Normally I would see if you guys wanted me to continue or not, but I can't. I don't think I could continue this and do a good job at it, and I also have another story I have to finish before I could do that anyway. If you liked this I suggest reading my other stories. "A Love That Could Never Be" and "Our Last Night At Hogwarts" are both Draco/Hermione fics. "Home Is Where The Heart Is" is my only Oliver Wood fic. My other two, "Muggle Studies" and "Life As A Teenage Witch" are Draco and original character stories. If you read those review those too. I hope you all enjoyed this little story. 


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